The prior art, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,626,724, 5,073,028, 4,003,660, and 3,995,958, provides methods and apparatus to measure light for the purpose of monitoring light transmittance through a work product and light reflectance from a work product. This prior art utilizes a moving platform to exhaustively sample a linear segment of a work product, as well as expensive detector filtering and/or light dispersion
The prior art, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 6,671,052 describes a static, multi-point densitometer with between 1 and 8 sensors per probe for monitoring and quality control of work product by measuring the transmissive or reflective optical density. Adjustments are then determined and made to achieve the desired optical density value.
The prior art does not teach, and there is a need, for a light measurement system head (“measurement head”) having elongated, modular, interlocking modules, each module having a linearly-overlapping orientation of a plurality of light sources or light detectors. Multiple light source modules are interlocked together and multiple light detector modules are interlocked together into a chosen length and used to exhaustively map a linear segment of a work product of a given width passing lengthwise beneath the interlocked light source modules and the interlocked light detector modules.
The prior art also does not suggest or teach, and there is a need, utilizing an onboard light source reference function to maintain consistent light intensity output from the light source modules of the “measurement head”.
The prior art also does not suggest or teach, and there is a need, for a peripheral temperature function to monitor and control for temperature impacts on both the light source modules and light detector modules.
Thus, there is a need in the prior art for an improved light measurement system “measurement head” for monitoring the transmittance of light through a work product or the reflectance of light from a work product that meets the above described need in the prior art. This improved light measurement system “measurement head” provides an end to end interlocking design of a plurality of light source modules and an end to end interlocking design of a like plurality of light detector modules. This permits a linearly-overlapping orientation across multiple modules that can be used to exhaustively map a linear segment of a work product of a given width passing lengthwise beneath the interlocked light source modules and the interlocked light detector modules. There is an onboard light source reference function to maintain consistent light intensity output from the light source modules, and a peripheral temperature function to monitor and control temperature impacts on both the light source modules and light detector modules.